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Abstract： Analyzes the three-phases——pre-task， task cycle， post-task and their rationale in task-based language teaching， designs corresponding teaching activities after adapting one text from New Horizon College English， so that college English teachers can better understand and use this teaching approach， and then improve the teaching effect and college students' comprehensive application abilities of language.

Key words： task-based language teaching pre-task task cycle post-task

I. Introduction

Research findings have led to claims that the task syllabus has a richer potential for promoting successful second language learning than other syllabus types (e.g. than structural， notional/ functional， situational ones). But there are few genuinely task-based textbooks on the market. Therefore， we can only adapt the materials found in traditional textbooks to fit the principles and procedures of task-based language teaching.

II. Procedures and rationale for the redesigning project

1.The concept of a task

In order to redesign the textbook material and get tasks， the concept of a task should be clear.

Then， what is a “task”? The rise of task-based language teaching (TBLT) has led to a variety of different interpretations of what exactly constitutes a “task” (e.g.Willis， 1996 ； Long， 1985； Breen， 1987). Task is defined here as an activity in which the target language is used by the learner for a communicative purpose in order to achieve an outcome.

2. Procedures and rationale for the redesigning project

As for the TBLT framework for classwork， a process of three-phases——pre-task， task cycle， post-task (language focus) is developed as the following.

The pre-task phase has two basic functions： 1) to introduce and create interest in doing a task on the chosen topic. 2) to activate topic-related words， phrases and target sentences that will be useful in carrying out the task and in the real world. A third， optional function is the inclusion of an enabling task to help students communicate as smoothly as possible during the task cycle.

Providing appropriate tasks is critical to the adaptation process because everything the students do is derived from the task(s) and it is the task(s) that generate the language to be used. Sometimes we just redesign activities from structural/functional sources that are supposed to provide free practice of targeted structures and functions in order to fit the chosen definition of a task. Sometimes we have to design goal-oriented tasks for texts from the original material.

The task cycle consists of the task(s) plus planning and report phases in which students present spoken or written reports of the work done in the task(s). During the task phase， students work in pairs or groups and use whatever linguistic resources they possess to achieve the goals of the task. Then， to avoid the risk of developing fluency at the expense of accuracy， they work with the teacher to improve their language while planning their reports of the task.

Before or during the task cycle， the teacher can expose students to language in use by having them listen to a recording of other people doing a similar task， or by having them read a text related to the task topic.

The post-task phase， i.e. the final one， in the framework， provides an opportunity for form-focused work——language focus. In this phase， some of the specific features of the language， which occur naturally during the task， are identified and analyzed. Among the possible starting points for analysis activities are functions， syntax， words or parts of words， categories of meaning or use， and phonological features. Following the analysis activities， this phase may also contain practice activities in which the teacher conducts practice of the new words， phrases， or patterns， which occur in the analysis activities， the task text， or the report phase. This phase is also essential， difficult. It is here where the fundamental accuracy to fluency direction of structural / functional materials comes most into conflict with the fundamental fluency to accuracy direction of a task-based framework.

III. Redesigning non-task-based materials to fit a task-based framework according to the procedures and rationale talked above.

Material： New Horizon College English， Book 2， Unit 2， Section A， Text Environmental Protection Throughout the World. The book is published in June， 2002， by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

Unit 2 Text Environmental Protection Throughout the World

Pre-task：

Teacher introduces topic， source of text， its original purpose， and other relevant information to set scene and activate learners' prior knowledge. Then the teacher tells class about the polluted river， lakes， etc.， and ask： What things can harm the environment? What do you think we should do to improve our environment? (Brainstorm those activities concerning the two guestions and briefly write down what the students say on the blackboard)

Task Cycle：

Task1Initial task——Prediction task based on the text

Teacher writes down the headline as well as the 3rd-4th sentences of the text (from “in recent years” to “environmental initiatives”) on board， then asks pairs to predict the content of the text and write down three questions they'd like answers to (Teacher helps with meanings of key new words and phrases if asked ). At last pairs discuss predictions.

Planning and report 1

Students plan brief oral report for whole class， to compare predictions. Teacher encourages but does not reveal whose predictions are closest. Pairs tell each other the questions they think of and discuss possible answers. At last let pairs write down five questions which they are sure will be answered in the story.First full exposure Students read the whole text twice， to see how close their predictions are teacher chairs general feedback on the content (Avoid detailed explanation). Pairs read the whole text to find out how many of their questions are answered：get 6/6， 5/6， 4/6 ? etc.

Task 2Memory challenge task

Without reading the text again， pairs list by memory in the form 6 things that have happened in 6 countries mentioned in the text (i.e. Canada， Costa Rica， Brazil， Eastern Europe， Ghana， Indonesia， etc.)

Planning and report 2

Pairs report to the whole class. Teacher encourages but does not reveal solutions Pairs read each other's list and completes their own.

Second full exposure

All students read the form， to check what they have written， and see which pairs remember most. Then the teacher gives general feedback. At last pairs read the text again， to check facts and find anything else that can go in list.

Task 3Main idea and writing styles summarizing task

Students discuss the main ideas of the text and each part (all 2 parts)， then continue to talk about their writing styles.

Planning and report 3

Students plan and report the discussion results to the whole class. Teacher gives feedback and praises the students who do well.

Post-task：

Language focus activitiesStudents underline the new words， phrases， difficult sentences， useful sentence patterns of the text and discuss their meanings in pairs. Then they report， then teacher gives feedback.

Language practice activitiesStudents retell the story in pairs and report (trying to use 10 new words and phrases). Then they write a summary of the text in 150 words and hand in next week.

References：

[1]Rooney， K. Redesigning Non-Task-Based Materials to Fit a Task-Based Framework[EB/OL].[2000].The Internet TESOL Journal.

[2]Willis， J. A Framework for Task-Based Learning[M]. London： Longman，1996： 23.

基金項目：國家教育部高等教育教學改革項目“大學英語教學改革試點項目”，教高司函[2004]21號，教育部高等教育司

(作者單位：廣東湛江師范學院外國語學院)